Count It In
by Wizard of Souls
Summary: Irvine finally has time off and plans to relax, but Zell quickly ruins his plans when he needs to hide from Seifer. Slash, oneshot.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything here but the plot. All characters and settings belong to Square, although I totally want Zell for myself.

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Irvine was cleaning the dorm room that Garden had allowed him to stay in. He had trashed the place pretty thoroughly the last two weeks and the trash and clutter was starting to bother him. He wasn't generally a slob, but back to back missions had left him too drained to clean. Thankfully, there were no more lined up and he had the weekend to himself.

Rolling out of bed, he pulled his hair back and put on a black tank top and his favorite khakis. He, of course, donned his hat, but he left his coat lying on his bed before going into the main living room. He turned on his radio and turned it to his favorite station before starting the cleaning process.

He was just throwing the last of the trash away when there was a knock at the door. Irvine put the trash bin he was carrying in a corner before opening the door to see a nervous looking Zell in his usual garb.

"Hey Irvine," Zell said, quickly stepping inside the room before closing the door behind him.

"Howdy Zell, come on in," Irvine said, looking at the shorter blonde with a mildly annoyed look.

"I'm really sorry about barging in, I just needed to-" Zell cut off as someone pounded on the door, causing the blonde to jump. Irvine shoved Zell behind the door as he flung it open again, revealing a different blonde, although he lacked his defining trench coat.

"I'm looking for Chickenwuss," Seifer said, his patented glare on his face. Irvine smiled, leaning against the door.

"Nah, haven't seen the little guy all mornin'. Maybe he's on a mission." Seifer scowled at the brunette.

"Zell doesn't go on his next mission for another two days."

"Did you try his Ma's?"

"Like his mom would let me know where Chickenwuss was," Seifer huffed. He turned and stalked down the hall, muttering something about 'useless cowboys' under his breath.

"See ya round Seifer," Irvine called after him before closed the door to look at the very pale fighter. "So now that yer done hidin', are ya gonna leave?"

"Are you kidding?" Zell said, shaking his head. "I'm not going back out there, Seifer's still out there." Irvine let out a sigh before turning into his dorm again, picking up the trash bin.

"Then make yerself useful and help me clean." Zell nodded and the two got to work on picking up dishes and putting them in the little kitchenette's sink. "You get started on those while I get the resta this junk put up." Zell nodded and moved to the sink, removing his gloves before starting.

"So why are ya hidin' from Seifer this time?" Irvine asked as he gathered up papers and magazines and set them on the table.

"I'm not hiding!"

"Then why'd ya barge in here?"

"I was..." Zell trailed off a moment, his hands stopping what they were doing until Irvine looked up where he was sitting on the floor, sorting through his pile. "Okay, so I was hiding. But that was a spur of the moment plan."

"So you had another reason for visitin'?" Zell didn't speak up until he locked eyes with cowboy, who was staring at him intently with a faint smile on his face. Zell looked away, blushing slightly from the look in Irvine's eyes.

"I...I needed some advice," the fighter said meekly.

"What kind of advice?" Zell muttered something inaudible over the music. "What was that?" Zell muttered louder, but Irvine still couldn't make out what he said. "Louder Zell."

"Romantic advice," Zell nearly shouted before he looked down at the dishes and scrubbed vigorously. Irvine let out a smirk as he finished organizing the paper and magazines on the table.

"So you come to me? Why not go ta someone else? I'm sure Selphie would be willing to...help." Irvine let out a hoot as he saw Zell blush a deep red.

"It's not that kind of advice you pervert!" Zell shouted. "Besides, she'd blab the entire situation to the Garden and then I'd be royally screwed!"

"What about Quistis?"

"She's never had romance trouble; she has an entire fan club to choose from. Besides, I'm sure she'd give me a lame answer anyway."

"Squall?"

"And be told to grow a pair and deal with it myself? No thanks."

"Rinoa?"

"She wouldn't believe a word I said about this." Zell refused to look up from the dishes the entire time and blushed a slight pink at the mention of Rinoa's name.

"So this has something to do with Rinoa? Squall won't take kindly to that." Again Irvine smirked, this time to the mental image of Zell being run through by Squall's gunblade.

"This isn't about Rinoa."

"So who's it about?" Zell remained silent for a moment as Irvine pondered. "You like the library girl, don't ya?" Zell shook his head. "Is there a little lady over in Balamb then?" Another head shake. "Maybe here in the Garden then." Again, Zell shook his head. "A long-distance relationship?" Another shake. Irvine sat on the couch, racking his brain before his thoughtful expression turned devilish. "If it's not female related...then yer havin' some boy troubles?" Zell turned red as he slowly nodded his head. Irvine let out a triumphant laugh as Zell through a dish rag at him.

"Shut up, this isn't funny! Man, why did I come ask for your advice anyway?"

"Because I'm the only one who knows a lick about romance," Irvine said, taking the rag off his face and walking over to the sink. "Now, who's the lucky boy that's caught yer heart?" Zell blushed and continued to work hard at cleaning the dishes.

"It's not like that!" He was silent a moment. "You're...you're not bothered by the fact I'm...ya know..." Irvine let out another laugh as he pat Zell on the back.

"Nah partner, why would I be? Besides, this finally explains your obsession over hot dogs." Irvine nudged Zell with his elbow, who turned a deep crimson.

"That's not why I like hot dogs you damn pervert! Why'd I even bother coming to you for advice anyway?"

"Because you've never dated and are inexperienced." Irvine started to wipe off the stack of clean, wet dishes that Zell had started to amass on the small counter above the sink.

"That's not true," Zell muttered, turning redder. Irvine stopped for a moment and looked down at the blonde.

"Who'd ya date then?"

"Seifer," he muttered, almost inaudible. Irvine would've missed it if he wasn't standing right next to him.

"Seifer?!"

"Yes, Seifer, now would you keep it down!" Zell was now redder than Ifrit.

"Wow...I never woulda guessed that you and Seifer were together. When was that?"

"A few years ago, when we were fourteen or so. He didn't use to be so mean to me...but..."

"But what? Why'd you two split?" Irvine had resumed drying the dishes as Zell slowed to a stop.

"He...he got scared, I guess. We had been seeing each other in secret while we pretended to be enemies in front of everyone. After a while, he just up and ended it and just got meaner to me from there."

"So how long's 'a while'?"

"Fifteen months." Irvine let out a low whistle as Zell started up on drying dishes again. As he put a wet plate on top of the stack, Zell's hand brushed Irvine's and Zell pulled back quickly.

"Hey now, there's no need to panic about contact. It's not like I bite," Irvine said. "Well, unless yer inta that sorta thing." Zell's face was well passed red now and heading towards a dark shade of purple.

"That's it, I'm outta here!" Zell put the glass he had in hand into the sink and dried off his hands just as the song changed on the radio.

"Oh man, I love this song!" Irvine exclaimed. He grabbed Zell's wrist, causing him to drop the towel he had in hand, and dragged him into the living room. Irvine let go just long enough to move the table to the wall before swinging Zell around.

_It's time to begin now count it in_

_5 6 7 8!_

"What the hell are you doing now?!"

"It's a Kinneas rule: ya gotta dance when this song comes on." With that, Irvine started to swing Zell around and danced to the song.

"Wa-woah!" It wasn't long before Zell gave in and started to match Irvine's moves.

"Yer a pretty good dancer," Irvine commented, causing Zell to start blushing again just as his face was turning to a more normal color. "But can you handle this?" Irvine threw his hat into the air and lifted Zell up and swung him around before causing the fighter to fall backwards against one of Irvine's arms as the cowboy caught his hat and put it on his head. As he lifted the fighter back up, his hand found its way to Zell's hip.

"I-Is that part of the rule too?" Zell asked. Irvine looked down at his hand on Zell's hip.

"Sometimes." The cowboy winked, causing Zell to turn red again. His blush faded quickly as Irvine pulled him close and the song ended. The two stood there for a moment as the radio started playing commercials.

"Irvine..." Zell squirmed a little, uncomfortable yet wanting to stay like this. Irvine pulled the blonde even closer, leaving only a finger's width of room between their lips. He could hear Zell's breathing stop.

"I knew it was a bad idea to come to you for advice," Zell muttered, pulling away slightly. Irvine gave him a questioning look.

"Did I do somethin' wrong?"

"No...Yes...I don't know." Zell let out a frustrated sigh as Irvine let go of him. "I had another reason I was avoiding Seifer earlier. He wanted to get back together and not to keep it a secret this time and I don't know if I can do something like that and even if I did I can't think of any reason I would want to take Seifer back but I-I don't if it wa-would work out this time and he if he r-really did want to get back toge-*heh*-together than he wouldn't have b-been so mean lately and..."

Zell's rant quickly turned into crying and sobbing as Irvine grabbed him and held him close again. Zell didn't back away as he buried his face against the cowboy's tank top. He cried for a few moments before finally gaining his composure.

"Ya done?" Irvine asked, stroking Zell's hair.

"Uh-huh," Zell said, nodding into Irvine's chest.

"So ya came to me to talk 'bout Seifer, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then let's talk." Irvine led the blonde to the couch and sat him down on one end. Zell curled up into a ball facing the other end of the couch, where Irvine sat after moving the coffee table back to its original position and resting his feet on it and swinging his arm over the back of the couch to better look at Zell.

"So you and Seifer used ta date a few years back." Zell nodded. "Did either of ya say 'I love you'?" Zell thought a moment before finally shaking his head. "Did ya love him though?"

"I...I don't know. Maybe."

"Do ya think that he loved you?"

"Back then, yeah. Now...now I think he was just...experimenting with me..." Irvine could see the tears forming in Zell's eyes again.

"What about now? Do you think he loves you?" Zell bit his lower lip. "Do ya love him?" Irvine asked after a long pause. Zell was about to say something when there was a loud knock on his door again. Irvine sighed and looked at Zell, who was watching the door and doing his best to hide from sight. Irvine took that as a sign to answer the door, so he got up and did so.

"Irvine, I've been wondering where you were!" Selphie said bubbly. She wrapped her arms around Irvine's neck before planting a kiss on Irvine's cheek. "You promised to meet me half an hour ago in the cafeteria so we could go shopping together. And why's your shirt wet?"

"Sorry Selph," Irvine said, unwrapping Selphie from around him, "somethin' important came up."

"Well, I could've helped with that," Selphie said, grinning.

"I don't mean it like that for once." Irvine's face remained serious the entire time and Selphie looked at him questioningly.

"Are you turning down a sex offer?" Selphie asked.

"Look, Selph, I've been turnin' 'em down fer nearly a month now. I'm just not as inta it as I used ta be."

"Oh," Selphie said, dejected. She suddenly brightened. "OOHH! You've fallen for someone haven't you! This is so exciting! Who is it? I can't wait to tell Rinoa!"

"Sorry Selph, this one's a secret." Selphie pouted a bit before smiling again.

"Well then let's go shopping! I'm already here and you're here so let's go!"

"I told ya, somethin' important came up." Again Selphie 'oohh'd and tried to peak into the dorm.

"Do I at least get to come in and meet this important 'something'?" Selphie asked.

"No can do. Go ask Rinoa to go shoppin' with ya, I'm sure she could use a trip." With that, Irvine closed the door on Selphie and turned back to Zell.

"Now where were we? Oh yeah, you were 'bout to say if ya thought Seifer loves yoy or if ya love Seifer." Zell nodded, although he was no longer curled up at the opposite end of the couch. He was now sitting with his legs pulled in more towards the middle, staring at the coffee table.

"I don't know about Seifer, but I...I think I fell out of love. After the way he started to treat me I just couldn't anymore, ya know?" Zell looked at Irvine, who nodded.

"Perfectly good reason. I once fell in love with a girl when I was first startin' ta get ta that age, but she started ta treat me like her personal slave and I couldn't take it. I dumped her quick and moved on to the next 'un."

"So...um..." Zell bit his lip, trying to think of what to say. "I think I've figured out what I needed to...but..." Irvine leaned closed, waiting to hear what he wanted. "I-I should probably go now. Thanks for your help and...yeah." Zell couldn't look Irvine in the eyes as the cowboy fell back against the couch. Zell started to stand up when Irvine caught his wrist again.

"Not so fast," Irvine said, pulling him back onto the couch. Zell, caught off guard, fell backwards onto Irvine, who wrapped an arm around the blonde to keep him from getting up again.

"Ir-Irvine!" Zell squeaked, blushing yet again. He tried to squirm away, but Irvine held him tight.

"How do ya feel about one particular cowboy?" Irvine felt Zell stiffen in his arms.

"Where did that come from?"

"Just wanted ta know if there was yet another reason ya came ta me." Irvine rested his chin on Zell's shoulder, his cheek nearly touching Zell's.

"I…I'm not sure if I do…I mean it's not that I don't…it's just that I'm so-"

"I think I got it," Ivrine said, loosening his grip on Zell. Zell turned to look at Irvine, who had turned away.

"Irvine?" Zell was suddenly dumped on the floor as Irvine stood up.

"Don't worry 'bout me, Zell." Irvine started for his room, a smile on his face. He disappeared into his room before coming back out with his coat on. "I think there's still time for me to catch up with Selphie for that there shoppin' I promised."

"Irvine…" Zell had stood back up by the time Irvine had walked past him.

"I said you don' have ta worry 'bout me," Irvine said, forcing himself to give Zell a smile. He turned towards the dorm's door when Zell reached out and yanked Irvine around to face him again. Before he could react, he felt Zell's lips against his in a forceful, yet quick kiss. "Zell?"

"I don't know what came over me." Zell looked at his shoes as he spoke. Irvine cupped Zell's chin and lifted his face up. "Irv-" He was cut off as he felt Irvine's lips on his again, more gentle than his had been yet still just as forceful. Irvine took a step forward, pushing Zell over the arm of the couch and breaking their kiss. He glared up at the cowboy, who was smirking seductively.

"What was that for?" Zell yelled, trying to get back up. Irvine held him down, however. Zell blushed upon realizing the position they would be in if the couch arm was gone.

"You started this whole thing, Zelly," Irvine said, leaning in for another kiss. Zell squirmed underneath, causing the brunette to stop. "Uncomfortable?"

"You have no idea," Zell muttered.

"Oh, I think I know," Irvine chuckled, causing Zell to blush more.

"Aren't you…I mean I thought you were, well…" Zell swallowed the last word as Irvine chuckled even more.

"Haven't ya figured it out Zelly? I'm bi." He kissed Zell again before the blonde could protest further. Zell moved into the kiss opening his mouth when Irvine pressed for entry. It felt like an eternity before Irvine pulled away, leaving Zell gasping for breath. "So, ya wanna finish this here or on the bed?" It took Zell a moment before recognition dawned on his face in the form of a scowl and a deep red blush.

"Oh my god, Irvine if you even try to sneak a hand past my hips I will tear it off and feed it to Ifrit," Zell nearly screamed, pushing a stunned Irvine off of him.

"I thought you were enjoyin' me Zelly, why so mean?" Irvine said, pouting a little for effect. Zell blushed and looked away from him.

"I'm just not ready to go that far, okay?" Zell couldn't look at Irvine at all as he felt Irvine stand up.

"Oh, so little Zelly's still a virgin." Zell's blush was quickly turning purple again as Irvine picked Zell up off the couch bridal style.

"Irvine! Put me down!" Irvine did so, although not in the way Zell intended. Irvine now sat on one end of the couch, one leg on the couch and the other dangling off the edge. Zell was now half lying on Irvine's chest in between his open legs. They were silent a moment as Irvine reclined on the couch, one arm wrapped around Zell's chest and the other hand playing with his spikes.

"This comfortable enough for ya?" Irvine asked when Zell relaxed against him. Zell nodded, enjoying the feel of Irvine's hand in his hair. After a moment, Zell turned slightly so that he was on his side and began to idly trace circles on Irvine's chest.

"So let me get this straight," Irvine said after a while of comfortable silence. "You and Seifer dated a few years back for fifteen months and the two of you never had sex?" Zell nodded. "So what did y'all do instead?" Zell blushed at the question.

"Is sex all you ever think about?" Irvine flashed him one of his patented smiles.

"Only when it comes to you Zelly." Zell blushed again.

"And why do you keep calling me Zelly?"

"I like it. Besides, Seifer gets ta call ya a pet name all the time, don't he?"

"'Chickenwuss' is so not a pet name!" Zell nearly shouted, hitting Irvine's chest.

"Whatever ya say Zelly. Now, are ya gonna answer my question?" Zell blushed again as he resettled into his previous position.

"Well, we, uh…we made out some. We mostly ended up…um…playing video games together…" Zell hid his face into Irvine's chest, expecting Irvine to laugh at him.

"Ah, now that's a much easier image ta swallow than Seifer bendin' ya over the mattress and-"

"That's it, I'm out of here!" Zell cried, picking himself off of Irvine. Irvine didn't stop him, instead following him to the door. Before he could open it, Irvine turned Zell around and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Dinner tonight sound good?" Zell looked at him, dumbfounded. "I was thinkin' around seven over at the Balamb Beach Hut. They've got some real good crab legs there."

"Are you asking me on a…a date?" Zell stuttered, his blush creeping back for the umpteenth time that afternoon.

"What are ya, dense? O' course I'm askin'." Irvine waited a moment, hoping Zell would say yes.

"O-Okay," Zell said just as Irvine was about to give up hope. "I'll meet you at the garage at seven." Irvine smiled as he opened the door for Zell, quickly pecking him on the cheek before Zell left and he closed the door.

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A/N: This is my first venture back into writing after a year's hiatus. I'm normally a fan of Seifer/Zell, but after seeing a drawing on deviantart, this fic sprung into my head. For those curious, the picture is titled 'Five Six Seven Eight' by zarla. I tried to incorporate the picture in the little dance sequence, although I'm not sure I captured the drawing well.

Thanks for reading and, please, leave a review.


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